


Making the Holidays

by serenbach



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-12
Updated: 2018-12-12
Packaged: 2019-09-17 03:28:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16966821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/serenbach/pseuds/serenbach
Summary: For his first holiday in his own apartment, Noctis has his heart set on making a traditional holiday cake.It's a good thing that his friends are all eager to help out (and to eat it!).





	Making the Holidays

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this last year as a pinch hit for the FFX gift exchange for emblem-oracle over on tumblr and never actually posted it on here! But it's Christmas again, so I thought I post it again now.

“This is an unusual request,” Ignis said as he handed Noctis the recipe book he’d asked Ignis to bring when he came that afternoon. “What do you have in mind?”

He headed over to the coffee-maker while Noct leafed through the book. By the time he had made himself a cup, Noct had located the recipe he wanted. He turned the book around to show Ignis; a rich fruit cake with thick white icing, a traditional holiday cake.

“A fruit cake?” Ignis asked, sounding surprised, and a little regretful. “I’m afraid that we might have left it a bit late to bake one of those in time for the holiday. They are usually baked a few months in advance, and left to mature.”

“Oh,” Noctis replied, looking down at the book. He sounded disappointed even to himself.

“Why this cake?” Ignis said, who of course had picked up on his disappointment. “As I recall, you mostly just eat the icing whenever it’s served in the Citadel.”

“Yeah,” Noct agreed, “But this year is my first year in my own place. I know we’ve got all the official stuff to do in the morning, but after I thought we could do something here, just the four of us. Maybe open our presents together or something.”

“Ah,” Ignis said, understanding. Every year, after the official fuss was made, he would meet his father in his private rooms with all their closest family and friends and exchange gifts, while his dad would serve them all a slice of fruit cake. And yeah, Noctis would mostly crumble his up and eat the icing, but it was the thing that made his holiday  _feel_ like a holiday.

Ignis sat down across the counter from him and pulled the book closer. “Well, I’m sure we can tweak the recipe,” he said, reading it over.

Noct smiled. “Thanks, Iggy.”

—

“What’s with all the bags?” Gladio asked, catching up with Noctis on the stairs. Of course, the day he had a lot to carry was the day the lift was broken.

“Been shopping,” he answered. “Can you take one of these?” he asked.

“Nah,” Gladio smirked. “You need the workout.”

“At least take the eggs!” Noct protested, and Gladio laughed, taking the bag with the eggs, and another one too.

“Eggs, flour, dried fruit – is Ignis making a cake?” Gladio asked, sounding eager.

“ _I’m_  making one,” Noctis replied, and Gladio suddenly looked less eager. “Iggy’s supervising,” he admitted.

“Cool,” Gladio replied. “Holiday cake, huh?” he asked, poking through the bags.

“Yeah,” Noctis said. “Hey, you’re gonna come, right? After all the stuff at the Citadel is done.”

“Course,” Gladio replied, switching all his bags to one hand to scruff up his hair while Noctis was carrying too much to fend him off. “Wouldn’t miss it.”

—

“I got you these,” Prompto announced. “Kind of a pre-present.”

He dropped some  _things_ into Noctis’ hand, odd metal shapes with sharp edges.

“Thanks,” Noctis answered. “Uh, what are they?”

“Icing cutters!” Prompto said, as if it was obvious. “For your cake.”

Noctis squinted at the cutters. Now that he knew, he could suddenly make out what they were meant to be – chocobos and moogles wearing little festive hats.

“I know they’re not traditional or anything, you don’t have to use them…” Prompto said, suddenly sounding insecure. 

Noctis closed his hand around them protectively. “They’re perfect.”  

“Cool,” Prompto said, looking pleased, if a bit pink.

“Iggy said he was going to show me how to do the icing tomorrow,” Noctis informed him. “Wanna help?”

“Sure!” Prompto answered, excited. “Can’t wait!”

—

“Here,” Ignis said, handing Noctis the knife. “I think you should have the honour.”

It was the evening of the winter holiday, and they were all gathered in Noctis’ apartment, all wearing the assortment of tacky holiday jumpers and hats they’d bought for each other, and Noctis was a little nervous.

Ignis had assured him that the cake looked good, and it smelled  _amazing_ but that was no guarantee of how it would taste. But the knife cut through cleanly, and Noctis dished out the four slices he’d cut for his friends (and one to wrap up for his dad for later).

There was nothing but the sound of munching for some time.

“This is really good,” Gladio said, and Noctis pulled a face at him for his tone of surprise.

“Yeah!” Prompto added enthusiastically through a mouthful of crumbs.

“Soaking the fruit for longer really made a difference,” Ignis mused, taking another bite, and Noct smiled as he popped an icing moogle in his mouth.

If he’d thought they were just humouring him by eating it, by the time they had played through a chunk of the new King’s Knight expansion and his three friends were sprawled out, most of the way asleep, the fact that well over half the cake was missing reassured him otherwise.

The first holiday in his own home really did feel like a holiday.  


End file.
